OVST offers free admission Thursday to musical 'Ragtime'

Ohio Valley Summer Theater (OVST) is offering free admission on Thursday, July 26, to its adaptation of the Broadway play "Ragtime."

Tickets are $12 for all other performances and donations will be appreciated for the free performances. The musical is OVST's second production this summer.

"Ragtime" paints a portrait of turn-of-the-century American life by weaving together the tales of three very different families: an upper middle-class white family, a socialist immigrant Jewish family, and an African American family in Harlem.

The story, which is fictional, includes true-to-life historical figures such as Booker T. Washington, Emma Goldman, Henry Ford, Evelyn Nesbit, J.P Morgan and Harry Houdini. These characters exemplify the play's ageless themes, particularly the divide among rich and poor Americans.

"Ragtime," which opened July 12, will have performances July 26 to 28 at 8 p.m. There also will be 2 p.m. Sunday matinee shows on July 29. For more details, visit www.ovst.org or call the OVST ticket office at 740-593-9696.